THE M ERCUREDEFRANCE : VALLETTE, RACHILDE, GOURMONT AND SCHWOB

In the early afternoon o f Friday, 24 August 1894, Paul happened
to be walking by the Cafe Mahieu. Among the people sitting
at tables outside he glimpsed a face that was familiar: the
Mongolian mask, piggy eyes and wispy beard of Verlaine, a
syphilitic hulk slouched over his absinthe. At a florist’s nearby
he bought a bunch o f violets and sent an errand boy over to
give them to Verlaine. Then he stood on the other side o f the
street to see what happened. The poet raised the violets to his
nose and smelt their scent. He looked in puzzlement to right
and left, trying to discover who had paid him this unexpected
tribute. Paul went on his way, delighted with his gesture.